Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life

James Blake's life was getting better every day. A rising tennis star and People magazine's Sexiest Male Athlete of 2002, he was leading a charmed life and loving every minute of it. But all that ended in May 2004, when Blake fractured his neck in an on-court freak accident. As he recovered, his father—who had been the inspiration for his tennis career—lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his father's death, Blake was dealt a third blow when he contracted zoster, a rare virus that paralyzed half of his face and threatened to end his already jeopardized career.

In Breaking Back, Blake provides a remarkable account of how he came back from this terrible heartbreak and self-doubt to become one of the top tennis players in the world. A story of strength, passion, courage, and the unbreakable bonds between a father and son, Breaking Back is a celebration of one extraordinary athlete's indomitable spirit and his inspiring ability to find hope in the bleakest of times.

From inside the book

Results 1-3 of 3

Page 12 When I first left college, as much as anything, it was to strike while the iron was
hot, to see what I might be able to accomplish as a player before I was too old to
give it a shot. There was always the assumption that I would return to Harvard (I ...

Page 15 I cracked forehands (my dominant go-to shot) left and right, while racing all over
the court. I was patient when I needed to be and strong when I needed to be.
Eventually, I broke him three times in two sets, to win 6–3, 6–4 injust one hour
and ...

Page 19 The serve is the shot over which a player has the most control, and because it
starts each point, the server has a tremendous advantage and is expected to win
the game. If you lose serve, you've been “broken,” and unless you can break
back ...

Well Written

User Review - sugarhill203 - Overstock.com

I found the book interesting and easy to read due to the content and good writting. Being a tennis fan I found the book to show the reasons the commentators use very positive words describing James Blake. James his mother and brother are always shown respect when referring to them.Read full review

About the author (2009)

James Blake has been a professional tennis player since 1999, when he left Harvard to join the professional tennis circuit. He grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, and currently resides in Tampa, Florida.